


Apple Pie for Days

by BFab



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Apple Pie, Bucky Barnes Recovering, M/M, SO MUCH PIE, all american boy, steve's birthday, super fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 22:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5393123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BFab/pseuds/BFab
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers.  All American boy- Captain America, in fact, with a birthday on the 4th of July.  What could be a more appropriate birthday dessert than apple pie?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apple Pie for Days

**Author's Note:**

> Ok I just wrote this quickly today and it is unbeta'ed (unbeta'd? How is that spelled? This is why I need input), so all mistakes are mine.

A week before his birthday, Steve Rogers finds himself suited up, shield on his back, staring at a platter of crackers and cheese squares on the low coffee table in the center of a tiny green room, waiting to make an appearance on Good Morning America. He hates this horse and pony show; hated it during the war when he was in tights, hates it now with HDTV and hot studio lights putting his every move out there to be turned into gifs and memes. Normally he does his best to avoid these situations; the Avengers are forced through the press junket after major alien invasions and the like, but he’s trying to play nice with the press since he got Bucky back. If he can keep them charmed and satisfied with fluff stories and his all-American image, it’ll hopefully keep the public eye (and journalistic criticisms) off Bucky’s time as the Winter Soldier.

So here he is, being featured in a segment about 4th of July celebrations and throwing a bigger, better barbecue. There are a few chefs who are going to showcase their recipes, and Steve’s job is to smile, be Captain America, and try food. What even is his life. He’d rather be back at the Tower with Bucky, or training with Nat (read: getting his ass kicked by Nat). A harried assistant timidly peeks into the room, “C-Captain Rogers?” she asks, running a hand through her straight blonde hair, “they’re ready for you. If you’ll… follow me? Please? Uh, sir?”

Steve smiles and stands, “You can just call me Steve, thanks Becca,” (Thank goodness for super soldier eyesight, her employee badge has small writing) “Lead the way.”

Becca flushes a furious crimson and ducks her head, pivoting on her heel to walk him towards the filming stage.

~~~

Steve smiles his Captain America smile as he walks around the set, sampling honey glazed ribs and grilled ears of corn with some gourmet seasoning that seems excessive- what’s wrong with a little salted butter?-, potato salad with chives and bacon, and even a strawberry-watermelon margarita. The host- who is wearing too much perfume and has too little personal space boundaries- grabs his arm, digging in her red nails in excitement. “And now, the exciting part. Dessert!” she almost-shrieks. “In honor of the 4th of July and of our good captain’s birthday, we have a very special treat. The quintessential American dessert, apple pie!” She’s still grasping Steve’s arm and drags him to the last chef’s table, where they’re uncovering a gorgeous golden brown dish of classic apple pie. 

Steve smiles graciously and accepts a generous slice of pie, which is served with a sweet cream vanilla cheddar ice cream. He has to hold in an eyeroll. Whenever he makes comments about “food these days” or “kids these days” or “manners these days” Sam hoists his pants high up his waist and starts shaking his fist, yelling “Watch your language, you hooligans!” in his grandpa voice while Natasha cackles and Steve tries (and fails) to glare at him menacingly.

So he takes a bite of pie and a bit of ice cream and smiles and nods, making appropriate “mmmm” noises and uses all of his considerable willpower not to grimace at someone’s food on national television. As soon as the cameras are turned to the host to finish up the segment, Steve downs the rest of his strawberry-watermelon margarita (he’s going to have to talk to Jarvis about making some of these, they’re delicious) to get the taste out of his mouth. 

~~~

Two days later, Steve is at the VA. He volunteers once or twice a week, if his Avengers schedule allows. Sam had pulled him into his office to finalize Steve’s flyers for the VA’s 4th-of-July-no-fireworks-no-sudden-loud-noises-minimal-PTSD-triggers barbecue that he designed, so he’s a few minutes late walking into the main meeting room. He’s greeted with a large group of grinning people (no jumping out and yelling “surprise” at VA parties), one of whom is holding out an apple-rhubarb pie with a lit candle in it. 

Steve groans, but turns it into an “aw, guys!” as Sam claps him on the shoulder and leads him into the room, singing “Happy Birthday” with the rest of the group while Steve blows out his candle and they serve the pie. Being the birthday boy, Steve gets the largest piece and compliments Henry, who baked it for him. Henry beams and says, “What better dessert for Captain America than apple pie? I’m glad you like it, sir.” Steve finishes his whole slice, Henry watching proudly.

~~~

The morning of his birthday, Steve pads barefoot out of his bedroom and finds Bucky in the kitchen, glaring and frowning at something in the kitchen. It looks like he didn’t sleep again last night; Steve can sometimes get him to sleep for a couple hours if he stands watch, but mostly Bucky is too on edge to rest. 

“Buck? What is it?” he asks as he makes his way into the room, and stops dead in his tracks as soon as the kitchen island comes into view. There are at least a dozen pies on the counter. “Jarvis?” Steve inquires, eyeing the pies.

Jarvis replies smoothly, “You have received several deliveries for your birthday, sir. I’ve screened them all, no poison or danger located. Happy birthday, Captain Rogers.”

Steve moves forward cautiously, the pies are in different sizes and tins, but there are printed notecards (thanks, Jarvis) by each one, labeling them. They’re all apple pie of some sort. Apple with a streusel top, apple blueberry, one with a cinnamon roll crust and one with a cheddar biscuit crust. There’s apple chocolate, green apple caramel, even an apple pie cheesecake. Steve looks helplessly at Bucky who hasn’t moved and is still sitting perched on the kitchen table with his feet on a chair and his death glare on the pies. Steve can see his metal hand pinching his thigh like Bucky does when he’s frustrated with himself.

“Bucky? Hey,” he says gently, and moves towards his friend, telegraphing his movements so Bucky doesn’t feel threatened or snuck up on, “it’s just pie, Jarvis said they’re all safe, it’s ok. They’re just for my birthday.” He reaches out and grasps Bucky’s metal forearm just below the elbow, squeezing hard enough to alert the pressure sensors and make Bucky look down at his hand. It gets him to stop pinching himself, so that’s good.

Bucky’s eyes dart from the pies and then to Steve’s face; he looks confused and frustrated, and Steve hates that. He’s been doing so well in recovering his memories. He still has to keep lists for daily tasks and appointments, but he’s been opening up more and more lately about earlier memories, of the army and of Steve. Steve sees Bucky shift uncomfortably, and notices a slightly crushed pastry box on the table behind him. “What’s this?” he asks softly, reaching around Bucky.

Bucky ducks his head, pulls at his hair a little. “I thought…” he trails off, sending another glare to the pies on the counter, “It was just. I walked into this little bakery, like that one we used to go to on the way home from school to look at the desserts we couldn’t afford? It wasn’t that one, but I walked in and it smelled just the same. They, uh, they had Jimmy Cake.” He shrugs and looks at the floor, “I thought I remembered getting that for your birthday one year, when your Ma had saved up to get you a new sketchbook and a couple ‘a those good pencils? I saved up too, makin’ deliveries for Mr. Stoutman? And, uh, I got you a piece of Jimmy Cake from that place. Even on your birthday, you cut that one small piece of cake into three so you could share with me and your Ma. I thought,” he huffed, frustrated, “why did I think you didn’t like pie? Everyone got you pie, and-”

“Buck,” Steve cuts in, voice thick and eyes watery. He brings his hands up to Bucky’s face, tilting his head up so he can look into his eyes, “Bucky, I gotta tell you… I fuckin’ hate pie.”

Bucky scoffs and cuts his eyes away, shaking Steve’s hands from his face “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better about not remembering shit right,” he grumbles.

“No, no, I’m totally serious,” Steve insists. “Cooked fruit? Makes no sense. It’s weird and syrupy sweet, the texture is all gross, it’s all-”

“Slimy,” Bucky finishes for him, finally meeting his eyes, a small smile quirking up the corner of his mouth, “you used to say that your body produced enough snot all on it’s own, you didn’t need to eat it for dessert.”

Steve feels a couple tears fall and he nods, smiling. “Exactly, it's why I've always hated Jello, too. Well, that and I had lime jello coming out my ears every time I was in the hospital.” He rests his forehead against Bucky’s, thinking having his best friend back is the best birthday gift he could get. He closes his eyes for a moment, just breathing in the fact that Bucky is _alive_ and _here_ , giving himself a second to pull it together before he straightens. “So, you said something about Jimmy Cake?” He asks with a bright smile; it's not his polite Steve Rogers smile or his brave face Captain America smile, it's just Bucky’s. 

~~~

Unlike last time, there is an entire cake in the box. Also unlike last time, there are two super soldier appetites to satisfy, so they sit next to each other at the kitchen table with the cake between them, a fork and a tall glass of milk for each of them. The pies get relocated to the common living area of the Tower, and predictably disappear within two days. Steve doesn’t think he’s ever had a better birthday.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't tried Jimmy Cake but I found [this](http://www.jamhands.net/2012/05/great-grandmas-famous-jimmy-cake.html) recipe and it looks really good, I'm going to have to try it out. 
> 
> Also? I don't like pie. Or cooked fruit. It's just super weird, ok? So yes, I'm projecting onto Steve.


End file.
